Below is a recent email received from a former houseman for the 1997 Brazzaville detachment looking to reconnect.  

I hope we can assist this gentleman in getting in touch with his friends.  I know many of us miss our Marine House help, and wish I had the opportunity to reconnect with them. 

To Dear Sirs; Marine Embassy Guard Association;
 
Greetings from Brazzaville, with all respects due to you.
I have a perfect esteem and a lot consideration to United States Marine Corps, precisely at Marine security Guard Detachment.

I'm introduce myself because I'm unknow to you.
I'm [name removed by Historical Committee] a old worker of Marine security Guard Detachment American Embassy Brazzaville.

I find your address, by Internet;as you are a Association, that's I write you this Message.
please Dear Bosses.
I would like to know more about my chiefs Marines of American citizenship,
the Detachment Commander(Gunny)Mr; Frederich Up Church,
Mr; Renolds Scott( her wife called Bridget).

I'm deeply preoccupied because,I have never heard of them since they left Brazzaville, about the civil war who spent in Congo Brazzaville in 5th June 1997.
please I write you this Message because I need your help to trace them in order to resume our contact; I do apologize for disturbing you.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.
I enclose the two photos for Mr; FREDERICH UP CHURCH and for MR.RENOLDS SCOTT and my work certificate and my Marine's recommandation.for you have the real informatrions for me.
yours faithfully

love sincerely;I will be very grateful to you.

Comments from Jim Hawn's email of 21JUL2010: When my tour began, the People's Republic of the Congo was in its last month of existence.  The nation had been a Maxist state since the mid 60s.  During my tour, the country was run by a transitional government under Prime Minister Andre Milongo, then its first elected president since 1960, Pascal Lissouba.  We experienced turmoil during what we in the embassy refered to as a "Foo-Coup" when soldiers from competing units closed off the bridge over the Jouie River.  We also provided security in September 1991 when the embassy across the river in Kinshasa, Zaire, went into lockdown and families went into safe haven.  It began on a Monday morning with a phone call from their Detachment Commander alerting us that the Zairois troops were on a rampage, opening up customs warehouses, and most businesses, looting themselves, and encouraging the populace to loot as well.  By Wednesday, conditions had deteriorated to the point where the Embassy in Zaire began sending people across the river to our Embassy.  Our Det met these Americans at the ferry dock, directing people to busses reserved for our use.  At one point, wives struggling with small children, had to leave luggage behind on the boat.  The Congolese soldiers there to provide security meant well, but they hampered relief efforts.  Sgt Joe Bolton turn to the Marines beside him on the dock, gave a follow me hand and arm signal, and bullied his way past the Congolese soldiers, returning with small children, suitcases, and adults relieved to have the extra helping hands.  Several trips were made until we had all Americans and their possessions accounted for.  We then took everyone, and everything, to our GSO compound a few blocks away.  This occurred in the early hours of the morning.  Around dinner time, a B-747 from Evergreen Airlines arrived to take our guests home to America.  This scene was repeated over the next two days as we evacuated over 1300 Americans and third country nationals from Zaire.  On the third day, the arrival time of the freedom flight was continually set back due to maintenance problems with the aircraft.  As dinner time rolled around, I went to our Admin Counselor, Sally Slocum, and told her that if she gave us the money, my Marines would get the grills from my house and the Marine House, buy the food, raid our bar of soft drinks, and set up a cook-out for the evacuees who had been subsisting on peanutbutter sandwiches and water all day.  Within the hour, grills were cooking hamburgers and cold drinks were being served...a heroic effort my by Marines.  That plane finally landed near midnight, and was wheels-up shortly after that.  We received the Humanitarian Service Medal for that effort, and were part of the Embassy's State Department's Superior Honor Award.